


cheshire

by Loverofchimkem



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Fantasy AU, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, also major charater death is mostly for futaba who is a ghost and died offscreen, its also a tag i never thought id use, magic animal hybrids, persona 5 big bang challenge, suprise suprise that means i made another catkira fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-03
Updated: 2019-03-03
Packaged: 2019-11-08 11:48:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17980757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Loverofchimkem/pseuds/Loverofchimkem
Summary: “I take it you’re not a fan?” a voice asks from behind him and it’s all he can do to not jump out of his own skin. Whipping around Ryuji finds that just as before the bathroom is empty save for himself and the cat.“God, I hope this isn't some weird hallucination,” Ryuji mumbled, running one of his hands through his hair and considering splashing his face with cold water, but before he can he’s distracted by the cat who’d relocated onto the counter to get a better view of Ryuji's reflection and discovering that talking is a thing that cats can do now.“I for one think it came out nicely, especially considering how unplanned the bonding was.” Ryuji could hear the words being said, knew what they each meant individually even, but he was still too stuck on the whole “talking cat” thing to make sense of them when they were strung together like that.Finally seeming to take note of the fact that Ryuji’s higher brain function have crashed and burned, the cat turned around to face him. “You know it's rude to just ignore people right?”or: the one where ryuji finds a stray cat and discovers a world he never knew existed when he brings it home





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanna start this off by giving a huge thanks to my artists, [rumor](http://rumorren.tumblr.com/post/183195838998/i-didnt-know-which-is-better-the-strawberry/) and [cyan](https://twitter.com/cyan_idol/status/1102326742134345728) who both drew amazing art for this fic! so please be sure to give them plenty of love!
> 
> as well as to the big bang mods who made this whole experience as painless as writing 10k+ in six months can be!

 

Ducking under the corner of a building to escape the rain, Ryuji tries his best to wring the water out of his soaked shirt as he curses. The skies had been covered in dark clouds all day, a storm a constant promise, but he still decided that a late night snack run was a good idea. He’d convinced himself that since the trip would only take a few minutes at most the chances of the storm breaking while he was out where slim, as it turns out they weren't quite as slim as he’d thought.

It isn’t until the screeching of a cat —sharp and clearly distressed— pierces the air, that his attention shifts away from himself and his shitty luck.

 

Despite knowing the risks of exploring the city’s streets at night, he also knows that he can't just turn his back on a potentially injured animal if there’s even a chance he can help. So, with only slight reluctance, he pulls away from the safety and relative dryness of the building to search out the source of the cry.

 

Covering his eyes with one hand in an attempt to keep at least some water out of them, he pulls his phone out with the other to light the way as he starts searching for the source of the scream. He follows the whines and whimpers that rise just above the storm down the street. Until he comes across the alleyway that he’s certain the cries are coming from.

 

He hesitates at the entrance; even with his phone’s flashlight, he can’t see where the alley leads and the sides are so shrouded in shadows that he almost wants to turn around and forget this whole thing.

 

Steeling his nerves, he reminds himself that the animal still needs him and that he’s come too far to back down now. He makes it several feet before he hears the sound of something shuffling around in front of him and slows down in response, wishing his phone were that much brighter than it is.

  
Making sure to check every nook and cranny as he passed them so that he could be sure whatever it was doesn't get the drop on him.

 

Once he was sure whatever had been making all the noise was gone, he let his guard drop. He might not have any idea what it was or where it went, but he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth and resumed his original search.

 

Unfortunately for him at some point or another, the cat had fallen silent, effectively putting an end to his ability to track it via sound. Thankfully, there weren't too many hiding places that remained unsearched, just a few trash bags shoved against the back wall, the overturned can, and a dumpster, making the task at hand far less daunting.

 

Deciding to start with the thing closest to him, Ryuji approached the dumpster and quickly glanced inside of it, almost certain that nothing would ever choose to hide there but, nevertheless, wanting to be on the safe side.

Finding nothing but the expected pile-up of trash, Ryuji sighed as he realized what the next step was.

 

Getting down on his hands and knees, he did his best to ignore the way the icy cold water on the ground instantly soaked through the denim.

 

Having not been looking forward to searching the trash pile had this venture proved a failure, Ryuji sighs in relief when he sees a pair of mismatched blue and yellow eyes staring at him.

 

“Hey there, little buddy,” Ryuji said softly, trying to figure out the best way to convince the cat to come out from where it was huddled against the back wall.

 

Letting out a pathetic little mewl the cat solved that little problem for Ryuji as he started squirming closer the edge of the dumpster, though the way its whines got louder is it moved made it clear the movements were aggravating whatever injuries it had obtained.

 

Once the cat had crawled close enough, Ryuji reached out and carefully pulled it the rest of the forward until it was fully out from under its hiding spot. it fought to get out of his hold at first but exhaustion quickly one out as it settled down.

 

Ryuji holds him up and does a quick scan of his body, hoping to identify the cause of his pain.

 

It didn't take long to find, the long blood covered scratch on the side of one of his back legs obvious. That along with the numerous smaller scratches and bite marks littering his body were more than enough to make Ryuji wince in sympathy.

 

The cat used his heightened position to stare pleadingly into Ryuji’s eyes as if knowing that he had the means to help. The fact that Ryuji could feel the violent shivers wracking his body, the rain and mud that soaked his fur not doing him any favors, only served to make him seem even more pitiful.

 

Aware that his options were limited, Ryuji still sighed as he picked the cat up by its scruff, ignoring the startled squeak he let out at the sudden action, and gently tucked him away inside his jacket.

 

“If this ruins my shirt, I won’t forgive you,” he said, feigning annoyance as he held the cat closer to his chest to help give it a bit more support. The only response he got to that was the feeling of the cat making himself comfortable as he shifted around in the cramped space.

 

Hurrying to the subway station, Ryuji kept glancing nervously around as he waited for the last train to arrive, worried that somehow someone would realize that he was trying to sneak a cat onboard, after all the bulge in his jacket wasn’t exactly subtle. Luckily, despite a few suspicious meows prompting one or two curious looks to be sent his way, most people paid him little mind.

 

When he finally arrived at his platform he pushed and shoved his way past several people, pointedly ignoring the curses they sent after him, so that he was one of the first ones off.

 

It only took him a few minutes to reach the rundown building that he called home, letting out a sigh of relief as he stepped through the door into his heated apartment and his drenched bones instantly started to warm. It didn’t take much time for the cat to notice the change in temperature either as he started shifting around in Ryuji’s arms, trying to maneuver into a position where he could better see his new surroundings.

 

Giving the small animal a hand, Ryuji cleared off an area on the dining room table where he then set the cat down and watched as the cat took in the room.

 

Not that there was much to take in, being made up of just a couch, a coffee table and an old tv sitting in the corner.

 

As the cat limped around the table, Ryuji came up with a mental checklist of what would need to get done within the next few days, and glancing down at muddy paw prints now covering the wooden tabletop, he made sure that the first and foremost item was to get the cat into a bath.

 

As gently as possible, Ryuji scruffed the cat, ignoring the cat's indignant huff and squirming as he moved from the living room to the slightly cramped bathroom where he set the cat down next to the sink.

 

Thankfully it only took a few minutes for the water to heat up and for the sink to fill, At which point, the cat happily walked into the bath without any prompting and started purring like a motorboat as he settled into the water.

Counting himself lucky to have stumbled upon the one cat that enjoyed being wet, Ryuji went to work scrubbing away at the dirt and grime that almost completely covered the animal.

 

Once most of the mud and dried blood was washed away, Ryuji took another look at the wound on the cat's leg. It was slightly smaller than what he remembered it being and not nearly as deep, but he still wanted to be safe and bandage it up.

As he was searching the cabinets for a roll of gauze and the bottle of antiseptic cream he knew was hidden somewhere, a dull red strip of nylon tucked away in one of the back corners of the cabinet caught his eye.

 

Temporarily putting his search for supplies on hold he took a moment to investigate this new discovery.

 

Pulling out the length of fabric revealed it to be a simple cat collar, probably left behind by the previous tenant, It was a simple collar, old and slightly worn. It had several black star decorations scattered across the red surface, and a small, rusty silver bell dangling from its middle.

 

Setting it aside for the moment Ryuji resumed his original search and emerged victorious a few minutes later, even managing to locate a pair of rubber gloves to boot.

 

Ryuji hurriedly prepared an area on the counter for him to work, which mostly consisted of him laying down a few towels and pulling on one of the gloves.

 

Using his free hand Ryuji again scruffed the cat, who promptly made his displeasure at being moved again clear with a loud groan but otherwise didn’t struggle all the much as Ryuji lifted him out of the water.

 

“Fair warning,” he said as he squeezed out a dollop of cream onto his gloved finger, “this probably sting slightly but I promise it's for the best, so just bear with me.”

 

Apparently not bothered by that prospect at all, the cat did nothing to resist him as he applied the cream aside from a slight hiss when the cold substance first made contact with his wounds.

 

Once Ryuji was satisfied that there would be no infections forming on his watch, he started wrapping the bandages around what injuries he could.

 

Ryuji was slightly confused by the cat's compliance, well aware that if he tried to get Ann’s cat, a spiteful little tuxedo who seemed to have it out for him specifically, to go along with them poking and prodding that was going on then there would have been mayhem and more than a few casualties.

 

He only allowed himself to wonder about it for a moment, knowing better than to look a gift horse in the mouth.

 

It wasn't until he reached for the collar that his luck ran out. He startled as the cat suddenly hissed at him and, taking advantage of his surprise, made a mad dash for the bathroom door.

 

He didn’t manage didn’t manage to make it very far, the drop from the counter to the floor jarring his leg and stunning him just long enough for Ryuji to scoop him up.

 

“Come on, there no need to be like that. S’not like it's about to bite you” the cat didn’t seem convinced by his reasoning, still trying to wriggle out of his grasp. Eventually, Ryuji was able to fasten the collar securely around the cat’s neck, at which point the cat fell limp in his hands, all of the fight in him drained away.

 

As soon as the buckle clicked shut, a searing pain spread across Ryuji’s chest leaving him doubled over in pain. He only just has the presence of mind to set the cat down on the floor instead of tossing it to kingdom come before yanking his shirt off.

 

Its immediately evident what’s causing the pain, even if the why and how still escape him. He can't find it in himself to worry about that right now though, too focused on watching the glowing line as it carves its way across his chest until it fades to black and the inside of the design lightens until it’s almost white.

 

It takes several minutes for him to recognize that shape being made as some kind of masquerade mask that spans the breadth of his chest with the top corners starting just under his shoulders and stopping a few inches above his belly button. Ryuji groans when he notices that this… arrangement leaves the eye holes placed right over his nipples, adding an almost comedic effect to an otherwise fairly plain design.

 

“I take it you’re not a fan?” a voice asks from behind him and it’s all he can do to not jump out of his own skin. Whipping around Ryuji finds that just as before the bathroom is empty save for himself and the cat.

 

“God, I hope this isn't some weird hallucination,” Ryuji mumbled, running one of his hands through his hair and considering splashing his face with cold water, but before he can he’s distracted by the cat who’d relocated onto the counter to get a better view of Ryuji's reflection and discovering that talking is a thing that cats can do now.

 

“I for one think it came out nicely, especially considering how unplanned the bonding was.” Ryuji could hear the words being said, knew what they each meant individually even, but he was still too stuck on the whole “talking cat” thing to make sense of them when they were strung together like that.

 

Finally seeming to take note of the fact that Ryuji’s higher brain function have crashed and burned, the cat turned around to face him. “You know it's rude to just ignore people right?”

 

“I don't really think I’d call you a person per se,” Defaulting to snark as a defence mechanism, Ryuji says the first thing that pops into his head and is rewarded by the absolutely offended look the cat shoots him

 

After a second or two, the cats face shifts into something much more akin to a smirk, which does nothing to quell any of Ryuji’s concerns.

 

Luckily it doesn't get to stick around long, before its being kicked out by confusion as the cats blue eye starts glowing and the air surrounding him starts to shimmer slightly but it quickly grows more and more intense until Ryuji can’t see the cat at all.

 

It’s gone so fast the Ryuji finds himself questioning if it was ever even there in the first place or if he really is going crazy because where there was a cat perched on his counter no less than five seconds ago is now a man sitting there. he's wearing a thick leather jacket and heeled boots, along with bright red gloves that match the collar that's still sitting pretty around his neck.

 

And that’s not to mention the fuzzy ears and tail that also decided to stick around after the transformation, and it’s all Ryuji can do to keep himself from reaching out and petting them.

 

The man wastes little time before he pushes himself off the counter. As he closes the few steps between them. Ryuji can’t help but find himself getting distracted by his eyes more than anything else. Dark grey with the same heterochromatic blue and gold they'd had as a cat shining through as little flecks of the colors.

 

It’s not until the man breaks eye contact by leaning forward so Ryuji can feel each breath he takes against his ear that he’s snapped out of whatever trance he’d fallen into.

 

“Now, what's that you were saying?” he’s pulling back before Ryuji has the chance to push him away.

 

Not that he could, distracted as he is with trying to school his newly formed blush into submission, to say nothing of the pleasant shivers down his back that he has no intention of thinking about any more than is strictly necessary.

 

“The name’s Akira, by the way.” Ryuji instantly latches onto the first normal thing to happen since getting home, even if it’s just an introduction. All he has to do is ignore the fact that the one giving the introduction is a half-cat man, who was a full cat no less than five minutes ago.

 

Focusing on that one piece of information and disregarding the rest, for the time being, Ryuji’s able to recollect his thoughts and give his brain the jump start it needs to realize that the bathroom is probably not the place he wants to be having whatever conversation is about to happen.

 

So he pulls on his shirt and calmly walks out of the bathroom, listening to the soft tinkling sound that follows him, before face-planting into the pillows that adorn his bed and letting out a long groan when he reaches it, he hadn't noticed till just how exhausted he is but now that he’s laying down all he wants to do is close his eyes and sleep until whatever mess he’s managed to get himself into this time works itself out.

 

It’s not until he feels the bed dip under Akira's weight that he remembers that life doesn't work that way and that it’s up to him to figure things out. So he turns his head just enough to uncover it from its pillowy hide-away.

 

“So, Akira,” ok so maybe that came out a bit more aggressive than Ryuji had planned, but Akira seems to be more amused than anything so he brushes it off and continues, “Want to explain what exactly is going on, cause I gotta admit, I’m completely effing lost.”

 

“Well, to make a long story short, you have claimed ownership of your first magical being.” Akira’s voice is teasing, but there’s a sharpness to his eyes that lets Ryuji know that he’s anything but happy about this situation.

“What do you mean ownership? I didn't-”

 

“Oh but you did, even if you weren't aware of it, you captured, then bound me, which is more than enough to satisfy the requirements for the bonding ritual.”

 

Ryuji wants to ask more questions, know that he should ask more questions, there’s no way that all this talk of bonding and rituals is something he can just brush under the metaphorical rug and forget about. But he’s just so tired, and between the heaviness of his eyelids and the soft warmth of his bed, sleep’s siren song is impossible to ignore.


	2. Chapter 2

 

Between the lingering heaviness in his limbs and the warm rumbling against his chest, it’s hard for Ryuji to convince himself he needs to wake up, even with his alarm clock screaming in his ear as he blindly fumbles around trying to locate the snooze button.

Eventually, he finds it and the clock falls silent.

 

He spends a few minutes just enjoying getting to lay in bed, soon enough though the nagging feeling that there’s something important he should be doing starts to surface and its enough to convince him to fight off the last tendrils of sleep that are still trying to drag him back down. The first thing he sees when he blinks open his eyes is the off white paint of his ceiling, the second thing he sees is the cat sleeping peacefully on top of him.

 

It takes a second for him to remember what, exactly, a cat is doing him his apartment. The memories from last night coming back to him one by one, and when they're done he has to reach out and lightly stroke the cat's silk soft fur just to prove to himself that he’s not still dreaming.

 

As much as he wants to stay in bed and think over the implications of magic being real and that a magical creature had decided to spend the night with him. Unfortunately, his stomach had other plans, already demanding Ryuji eat something before starting his newest existential crisis.

 

When he tries to get up all he accomplishes is getting Akira to dig his claws into his shirt and makes sure his complaining {grumbles} are loud enough to get his point across.

 

Unfortunately for him, Ryuji’s stomach is louder still and with a bit of careful maneuvering, he manages to dislodge Akira and make his way to the kitchen.

 

Deciding that anything more complex than cereal would take far more energy than he currently has, Ryuji picks out his favorite brand and pours himself a bowl before sitting down at the table to eat and wait for Akira to get up.

 

Turns out he doesn't have to wait long, it only takes Akira a few minutes to show up, now back in his more human form. Ryuji can’t help but notice the lack of any kind of limp as he walks over and seats himself down in the chair opposite Ryuji, letting his head rest in one of his hand and eyes closed, but put it down to some kind of magic nonsense he’ll have to remember to ask about later.

 

They sit like that for several minutes longer Akiras ears flicking and twitching every time his fork scrapes against the ceramic of the bowl the only sign he hasn't fallen back asleep. Ryuji can’t bring himself to look away from the novelty of cat ears on a person still not having worn off. He’s so enraptured by the sight that he goes so far as to purposely scratch the ceramic more often than he otherwise would. At least until Akira opens one of his eyes just enough for him glare at Ryuji. A look that promises he won't like what happens next he doesn't knock it off.

 

Once again falling into a vaguely uncomfortable silence, at least on Ryuji's end as he's half convinced that Akira really has fallen asleep this time. It doesn't take long before Ryuji starts to grow restless.

 

“Hey,” he starts in his sudden need to fill the silence,  but he pauses just long enough to for Akira’s ears to prick up, the universal sign of attentive animals everywhere.

 

“You're not hungry, are you? I can make you something if you want.” Akira hums long and low as he thinks about his answer, and Ryuji has to fight down the blush that's trying to form at the sound.

 

“I don't suppose you're on the menu?” he says after a few more seconds. He opens his eyes just enough to watch as Ryuji process the question. As soon as the implications of the question hit him the blush he’d been forcing down surges past his meagre defences and him he starts sputtering, caught off guard and having no idea how else to react.

 

Akira waits patiently as Ryuji works through his shock and manages to recollects himself, the all too pleased smirk on his face tail that's sticking straight up in the air making his look just like a cat that got the cream all the while.

 

“Dude, you can't just say things like that!”

 

Ignoring Ryuji's outburst, Akira lets his ears and tail droop slightly, “I guess that means I’m out of luck, oh well,” he says in faux disappointment.

 

“Yeah, sure, whatever, you have an actual answer for me or are you just gonna go hungry?” Ryuji responds, already getting used to Akira’s flair for theatrics.

 

“Well, if you want to be technical that was my answer. Akira tilts his head slightly to punctuate his words and to draw attention to the collar still firmly wrapped around this neck, “I get most of my energy from you now, thanks to the whole ‘bonded together’ thing,” Right that, Ryuji had almost forgotten about it. “But I did take more than I should have when I healed my leg last night, and you need time to recover before I can take more, which leaves your human food as the best option right now.”

 

“Like a parasite?” Ryuji asks because it’s the only thing he’d managed to understand from Akira's explanation, that and that he does want something to eat. Akira doesn't even try to hide his laughter at the outraged face Akira made at the comparison.  He quickly gets his anger back under control and stares into Ryuji’s eyes

 

“Think of it however you want. It doesn't change the fact that you’re my main energy source from now on. If you really don’t like it then there are ways to undo the bond, though you might find the side effects of those to be even more unpleasant.”

Ryuji doesn't hesitate to shoot that idea down, “dude, no offence but trading being dead tired at night for getting to hang out with a supernatural cat person is a bit of a no brainer if you ask me.”

 

“It’s a good thing I am asking you then, and you shouldn't have to deal with any excess tiredness after a day or two, your body should have adapted to the extra demand I'm placing on it by then.”

 

Deciding to leave the conversation at that, for now, Ryuji turns around and starts rummaging around for something to make the two of them for breakfast. Eventually, he settles on eggs.

 

It doesn't take any time at all to set everything up and crack the eggs into the pan. Not wanting to let the silence from before taking over again, Ryuji decides to take the opportunity and ask a few questions.

 

Or tries to at least, he barely has the time to get a word out before he sees a flash of blue light in his periphery and has to catch his balance as Akira jumps onto his shoulder to get a better view.

 

Once he’s adjusted to the sudden weight Ryuji shoots Akira a quick glare, which goes completely unnoticed, the cat far too interested in the stovetop to pay Ryuji any mind.

 

“Please don’t tell me you’ve never seen eggs before?” Ryuji says in disbelief and slight concern, after all, who doesn't know what an omelette is?

 

“Ok, I won't.” Ryuji just quirks his eyebrow at that, not buying it in the slightest. After a beat, Akira hurries to defend himself. “I have! I just never had any need to make them myself. I could just some energy from a flower here and a tree there and I would be set. Not nearly as effective as the personal generators that humans tend to be but it works well enough.”

 

Ryuji’s stops paying attention to Akira when he gets compared to a piece of machinery. He instead lets himself get distracted by Akiras fur and how it soft it looks. He has to restrain himself from reaching out and petting it, not sure how well that attempt would go over and not really wanting to risk it with Akira's claws so close to his face.

 

Redoubling his focus on cooking then serving the eggs. Ryuji digs right in once he’s sitting down. He’s scarfed almost half of them down when the way Akira keeps pushing his untouched eggs back and forth across his plate catches his attention.

 

“It’s not gonna eat you back I promise, as far as I know only pineapples do that.” To prove his point Ryuji reaches over and takes a large forkful and makes a show of chewing and swallowing it.

 

Underneath Akiras glare as he takes his a bite of his own Ryuji can see the slightest hint of an amused smile.

 

When their both done eating Akira shifts back into his cat form and leaves through the kitchen's window, claiming that he wants to get more familiar with the area.

 

Ryuji uses his newfound alone time to process the events of the day. When a few hours pass and Akira fails to make his return, Ryuji decides that taking a midday nap would be a better waste of time than waiting up for him, especially now that he knows he has to create enough energy for two people.

 

He is absolutely unprepared for the orange blur that barrels _through_ him when he opens his bedroom door and leaves him feeling as if he’s just stepped out of an ice bath.

 

Trying to rub some warmth back into his arms Ryuji gives the room a quick once over, seeing nothing out of place except for the computer that he could have sworn had been shut off opened to his desktop, but almost all of the electronics he’s ever owned have had a strange habit of turning themselves on so he doesn't think much of it.

 

It doesn't take long to find out where the blur had hidden, the bright orange hair and fearful eyes watching him from behind his couch difficult to miss. They both stand frozen staring at each other. From what little of her is visible from behind the couch she can't be more than fourteen or fifteen, but what catches him most off guard is that he can see through her to the bookshelf sitting innocently against the back wall.

 

Ryuji groans when it clicks that this is some magic nonsense he has to deal with and that Akira is conveniently who knows where at the moment. Which is apparently the wrong thing to do, as the girl immediately lets out a terrified squeak and ducks out of sight.

 

As much as Ryuji wants to turn around, collapse into his bed and leave this problem sort itself out, or at least wait for Akira to find his way back and let him fix it.

 

Instead, he finds himself slowly walking towards the couch careful to avoid making too much noise until he’s close enough to sit down on it and starts doing what he does best, he talks.

 

He talks about everything and anything that pops into his head, from his trip to the grocery store a few days ago, to whatever dumb jokes he can come up with on short notice.

 

He grins victoriously and pulls himself up when one of them lands, the muffled sound of giggling rising up from behind him.

 

“You think that's funny, huh?” he doesn't miss the girl's violent flinch when he speaks directly at her, nor the look of pure terror when she sees him looking at her.

 

“I'm, i. I didn't mean. I don't” she stutters, trying to work through an apology of some sort, but Ryuji interrupts her before she can.

  
“What are you apologizing for? That joke was a work of art id be more offended if you didn't augh! Anyway, now that you're done hiding, you got a name kid?” Ryuji barely managed to hold back a laugh at the grimace that passed over the girls face at being called a kid before it changed to an indignant huff as she straightens out from her balled-up position.

 

“Of course I have a name! It’s Futaba and you better not forget it!” Ryuji puts his hands up in a placating gesture.

 

“Alright, alright I got it. So, Futaba, I take it you’ve been haunting this place awhile?” Futaba shrinks back into herself at the question

 

“I'm, uh, not really sure, time kinda loses most of its meaning when you have too much of it, but I know I’ve been here longer than you have.”

 

distant memories of TVs that would flick on by themselves, stomping sounds that could be heard long after everyone else was asleep, and the messes that would appear in the house even if no one was home to cause it to come to mind.

They'd never truly stopped, they just got easier to overlook after his ma had moved out and he’d stopped getting yelled at for them.

 

“So you're the one who kept getting me in trouble way back when!” Ryuji shouts, sounding happier to have finally solved that particular mystery than anything else, to which Futaba just shrugs noncommittally.

 

They sit in awkward silence for a few minutes, Ryuji not knowing where to go from there and Futaba clearly having no intentions to take control of the conversation herself.

 

Unable to stand the quiet for long, Ryuji askes the first thing that pops into his head, “How’d you become a ghost anyway?” 

 

And immediately regrets opening his mouth. “ no. wait, shit, I'm sorry, you don't have to answer that, just uh... Futaba?” Ryuji stops trying to rectify his mistake when he sees that Futaba's curled back into a ball on the ground and isn't paying him any attention.

He sits on the couch for a while, unsure what to do now but certain there's nothing he can say that will get her to forgive him after shoving his foot so far down his own throat he could kick his kidneys.

 

It’s just as he’s come to the decision to hide out in his room or something that he hears a choked off sob.

 

Any thoughts of leaving are thrown out the window, even if he is the cause of her crying there's no way he can leave her alone now.

 

Slowly he gets up off the couch and circles around, being careful to make as few sudden movements as he can, though it quickly becomes apparent that his caution is unnecessary. Even when he sits down next to her she doesn't react any more than to instinctively flinch away from him. Too absorbed in whatever maelstrom of thoughts his question had kicked up.

 

From his new spot, it’s impossible to miss the tremors that are wracking her body, or the quiet mumbling hidden between the sobs that are desperately being swallowed down.

 

“Futaba,” Ryuji says softly, trying to get her attention without scaring her anymore.

 

Ryuji succeeds in the first half of his mission at least, Futaba's eyes snapping to him, he doesn't consider it much of a victory as she just keeps staring straight ahead without the slightest hint she’s seeing anything that's in front of her.

 

Desperately trying to think of anything that might help, but her breathing has been steadily speeding up this entire time, and while Ryuji has no idea if ghost even needs to breathe or not he’d rather not find out the answer because he let out pass out from hyperventilation.

 

Acting on instinct and only half expecting it to work, Ryuji reaches out and puts his hand on Futaba's shoulder. His hand instantly goes cold, as if he’d placed it on a block of ice instead of someone's shoulder and Futaba flinches violently away from the unexpected contact, but it does seem to do its job. her eyes are still glassy and distant, staring at one far off memory or another.

 

But now at least there's a spark of recognition in them when she looks back at him, small though it may be Ryuji’s willing to accept any and all victorious right now.

 

She’s still sobbing and shaking and breathing far to fast, but improvement is an improvement, besides now that Ryuji has her attention helping her through the rest of her panic attack should be easier.

 

The first thing Ryuji knows he has to is to get her breathing under control.

 

“Alright Futaba, I need you to listen to me ok. Think you can do that?” he waits for her to finish trying to focus on him a bit more, just enough for him to know that his words are getting through to her before continuing, “I'm gonna start counting now, all I need you to do now is try and match my breathing ok?”

 

Ryuji doesn't wait for any kind of response this time, jumping right into slowing his own breaths so that he’s inhaling and exhaling in time with the numbers as he says them aloud.

 

Slowly but surely, Futaba follows along, her breaths slowing down to match his. It isn't long after that until her body stops shaking and her cries quite to just an occasional sniffle.

He doesn't stop counting until she collapses into against his chest, his arms instinctively surrounding her as he says whatever meaningless reassurances he can think of into her hair as he waits for her to collect herself. 

  
When she finally does she uses the sleeve of her hoodie to rub the last few tears out of her eyes.

 

“You feeling better?” Ryuji asks just to make sure.

 

Too tired to put up a false bravado, she glasses to the side and says “yeah, I think I’m good now. So um, thanks for helping and all that.”

 

Ryuji wants to grab her again and insist that she shouldn't be thanking him if anything _he_ should be apologizing to her, but he doesn't want to risk sending her into another panic, so he lets it go and starts looking around for something they can do to relax for a while.

 

Eventually, he lands on the controller resting on the table beside them and grins widely

 

”Well, that was no fun at all, what do you say we drop this heavy talk and go a few rounds?”

 

Futaba grins back, albeit weakly, “Only if you're ready to lose.”

 

For someone who hasn't touched a controller in years, Futaba ends up being unfairly good at video games, especially his older ones. she's a fast learner when it comes to the few that she does struggle with.

 

Even so, Ryuji still manages to give her a run for her money in most of the games.

 

They play for several hours, their win rates staying fairly even the entire time.


	3. Chapter 3

It’s well past midnight when Ryuji hears the first stifled yawn come from beside him. Certain that Futaba will be able to tell if he throws a round He waits until the next time he losses to set the controller down.

 

“I think I’ve had my share of losses for one night, what do you think about swapping we can take turns with?”  Futaba for her part only puts up a token protest to his suggestion before giving in with the stipulation that she gets first turn.

 

While waiting for her to work her way through the first mission so they can switch out, Ryuji leans back against the couch and takes the time to look over her as she slashes through hoard after hoard of enemies.

 

Time, distraction, and the looming promise of sleep have worked wonders to calm and relax her, but there's still and all too telling tension to her that says she’s still not completely free from the memories his careless question had dug up.

 

There something almost electric arcing up and down his arms and into his hands, growing stronger the more and more he thinks about all the things the Futaba had to have gone through to have a reaction as strong as hers was, about the type of people who would let a 15 year old go through those things. 

He wants nothing more than to hunt down the ones who hurt, who  _ killed _ , the girl in front of him. the electricity surging through him sings it’s agreement.

 

Ryuji forces himself to relax, even as every fiber of his being rebels against it. He knows that even if he does manage to figure out who did this to Futaba, what’s done is already done and right now she needs a distraction, not retribution

 

He only just manages to get himself back under control before he has to grab the controller to stop it from smashing into his face. “let’s see you beat that!”

 

“just you watch and learn,” it’s not long after Ryuji loads up the next mission that the events of the night start to finally catch up to Futaba. Her yawns keep coming more and more often, and every time Ryuji glances over clear her eyelids are losing the fight against gravity more and more.

he’s barely halfway done when his side goes numb where Futaba makes herself comfortable.

 

“you that tired? You do know there's a perfectly good couch behind us right?”

 

“don’t care,” she whines and clings tighter to Ryuji’s side “your comfy.”

 

Realizing that continuing to try and get her to move would be a lesson in futility, Ryuji sighs and reaches behind them to pull a blanket down and wraps it around them as best he can with one of his hands being held hostage. 

 

It doesn't do anything for the chill, but it does make it easier for him to nod off himself.

 

He wakes up sometime late to Akira climbing into his lap and Futaba nowhere to be seen.

 

“ ‘kira?” Ryuji asks, voice heavy with sleep, “Where’s ‘taba?” 

 

Akira curls up comfortably between Ryuji’s legs letting his head rest on a knee before answering.

 

“You mean that girl who was sleeping on you? She woke up when I arrived and disappeared. interacting with the physical world takes a lot of energy for a ghost, she probably realized how tired she was left to get some real sleep.” Ryuji struggles to follow any of what Akira’s saying. It doesn't take long for Akira to pick up on that, he laughs softly and adds on, “ I think you would benefit from following her example.”

 

Ryuji’s still half-asleep brain can't find any arguments against that suggestion, and Ryuji drifts back to sleep, lulled their this time by Akira’s soft purrs.

* * *

 

as Akira predicted, Futaba is back the next morning sitting at the kitchen table and demanding Ryuji make her something to eat.

“Do you even need to eat?” 

 

“Not really,” she shrugs “but that doesn't mean I can't if I want to.”

There's A strong sense of deja vu as Ryuji looks around the kitchen for something to make. Not feeling like spending any more energy than necessary, he settles on pouring three bowls of cereal. 

 

He makes sure Akira takes the milkless bowl as he hands them out and takes his own seat. Watching her eat with the enthusiasm of someone on the brink of starvation helps assure him that her panic from last night is a thing of the past.

 

“I take it your feeling better today?” he still asks, just to make sure.

 

“Just because you’ve maxed out your stealth and managed to sneak up on me last night doesn't mean anything, got it!”

 

“besides if someone like Akira has decided to stick around you then you can’t be that bad.”

 

“What’s he have to do with anything?” he’s struggling to find where her logic is coming from, much less follow it.

 

“Well beings that take the form of cats have a tendency to wander, and even with the bond, he could still go wherever he wants so long as he can get back before he starves.  Isn’t that right?” 

 

Realizing that he’s being asked a question Akira looks up from his bowl for the first time since the conversation started. 

 

“Pretty much yeah, but how do you know so much about it?” there's curiosity in the question, but also a thinly veiled threat and Ryuji has a suspicion that if Futaba gives the wrong answer, whatever that is, Akira will happily follow through with it.

 

Seeming to understand this too, Futaba is quick to explain, “my mom was a scientist she studied the supernatural. She let me read her research notes sometimes, this was just one of the things she’d decided to focus on.”

 

Ryuji sighs in relief when Akira accepts her explanation with a quick nod and the nearly suffocating pressure in the room lifts. Breakfast continues on as normally as it can when ones eating with a ghost and a man with cat ears and tail. Ryuji isn't surprised to find that he doesn't mind all that much.

 

Futaba is the first to finish, vanishing into thin air with the claim that she needs to rest. Akira’s done next and impatiently waits for Ryuji to follow suit.

 

The second Ryuji swallows down his last bite of cereal, Akira is dragging him towards the front door

 

“Can i ask where your taking me, or is it a surprise?” Ryuji tries to dig his heels in but Akira barely seems to notice, much less slow down.

 

“Not at all, there's a park nearby, inkoshira, okashira-”

 

“Inokashira?”

 

“That’s the one! Anyway, there's something I want to try out and that's the best place to do it.” 

 

“And can I know what this ‘it’ is? Besides we can’t just leave now, I still have to clean u the kitchen”

 

“Nope,” Akira his eyes light up at the same time he pops the p-sound and Ryuji can hear glass moving around and cabinets being slammed shut  “that part is a surprise, and i think you’ll find that the kitchen has already been dealt with” 

 

Seeing the opportunity and unable to resist Ryuji stops walking at the front door he waits for Akira to notice he’s not being followed anymore and turn around, a curious tilt to his head. He spends a few seconds pretending to be deep in thought and says, “You know, maybe I should go back and make sure you didn’t miss anything.”

 

Ryuji can't hold back a grin when hears a quiet growl as Akira turns around to face him completely, his arms crossed and tail lashing in frustration behind him. Ryuji continues to hem and haw for a few seconds before deciding to cut Akira a break.

 

“I guess it's not really that important, I'll just check when we get back.”

 

Akira, not wanting to let Ryuji have any chances to change his mind wastes no time as he drags Ryuji as far from the apartment as he can.

 

It isn't until they’re sitting in the subway station waiting for their train to arrive while throngs of people come and go around them that Ryuji realizes that Akira is waking around with his ears and tail in full view. He has half a mind to pull Akira aside and hide away in the nearest alley so that no one will see him and start panicking or trying to kidnap him for science or something.

 

Taking a deep breath Ryuji is able to hold back that instinct, after all, they’ve been walking for a good few minutes and no one has paid them any attention, good or bad.

 

still, Ryuji ups his pace just enough so that instead of trailing along behind Akira as he had been he’s now walking in step with him.

 

“Gotta admit i’m kind of surprised no one’s freaked out about the whole cat thing you’ve got going on,” Ryuji says, waving his hand in Akira’s general direction.

 

“That’s probably because to them i look just like any other human after all the only ones who are even aware of magic are those like you who just happened to got lucky and stumble upon it.”  

 

The explanation is easy enough for Ryuji to accept, he’s already noticed figures moving around just out of sight that look,from what he’s managed to see,eerily similar to ones he’s heard about in various legends and myths. It's not hard to put two and two together and get that the same reason other people cant see Akira is why he can now see them.

 

Akira’s response does remind Ryuji of another question he has, but he waits until they've made it to the subway station and found a bench to sit on to ask it.

 

Once their both seated Ryuji askes as casually as he can, “Speaking of stumbling upon you, I’ve been meaning to ask, what were you even doing that  night? Cause I kinda doubt bleeding out in an alleyway is anyone’s idea of a good time, much less yours.”

 

Akira answers just as casually, “ that was exactly as it looked, an acquaintance of mine decided he wanted a fight and I obliged him.”

 

“Acquaintance?” Ryuji presses,

 

“I use the term very loosely, id probably be better to just say he’s some birdbrain I know who can’t leave well enough alone.”

 

Before he can ask any more questions their train pulls into the station and in the rush to board they get tossed to the wayside.

 

The ride to inokashira goes about as well as a 30-minute ride in an overcrowded car can go. He refuses to think about how nice it feels to have Akira’s back pressed against him as he tries to put as much space as he can between them and the strangers surrounding them.

 

When they finally make it to the park, Ryuji finds that it hasn't changed much at all since the last time he’d visited the trees are still green, the water is still blue and there are just enough people wandering around to not feel isolated while still not feeling the least bit crowded.

  
  


This is still apparently too many people for Akira's liking. Choosing to forgo the beaten paths he transforms back into his cat form and starts making his way into the woods. He doesn't look back when he calls for Ryuji to follow him.

 

having come too far to turn back now Ryuji does after only a moment of hesitation.

 

“I hope you know your cheating,” he complains after getting smacked in the face for the umpteenth time. Akira just laughs from his position up ahead where he weaves through the underbrush, well clear of all the hazards Ryuji is struggling to avoid.

 

“Are you sure you even know where we’re going? I swear we’ve been walking forever.”

 

This causes Akira to pause and look around, rechecking their surroundings before shrugging

 

“Yeah, I'm pretty sure, it should be just up ahead,” Akira says, and with how long they’ve already been walking Ryuji hopes he’s right.

 

“You still haven't told me where ‘it’ is you know,” Ryuji says as he just barely manages to stop himself from tripping over a tree root.

 

“I haven't?” Akira sounds surprised like he genuinely forgets to mention it. “ well it’s nothing special just a clearing that i used to hole up in during the winter, hardly anyone seems to know it exists so I figured it’s as good a place as any to test my theory.”

 

Ryuji doesn't ask anything else after that, both too busy focusing on not losing his footing and knowing from previous attempts that Akira won’t tell him what exactly this theory of his is.

 

Lucky for him Akira was right when he said the clearing was nearby as Akira rushes forward only a few minutes later.  

 

By the time he’s caught up Akira is waiting for him in the center of the clearing, already transformed back. As soon as he sees Ryuji walk out of the trees he beckons him forward he waits until Ryuji is right in front of him to start explaining.

 

“So you remember when I told you about how I can take energy from you and use it myself right?” when Ryuji nods in confirmation he continues, “well, in theory, that link should run both ways though if I’m right you have access to my magic instead of my energy.”

 

It takes a second for Akira’s words to process, even after they do its still hard for Ryuji to believe he hear them right.

 

“Wait let me get this straight,  you’re saying is that if I try I can do all the stuff you can?” there’s no way it can be real, Ryuji thinks, Akira’s just playing an elaborate joke or better yet he caught a cold from staying out in the rain last night and this is all just one big fever-induced dream.

 

If it is then it doesn't look like it’s coming to an end anytime soon as Akira shakes his head and answers, “not necessarily,  even if two people are drawing from the same source how that magic is expressed is almost always different.”

 

Ryui can’t stop the wave of disappointment at the news, he’d already been thinking about all the pranks he could get away with while shapeshifted. It’s not nearly enough to dull his excitement in the slightest though.

 

He waits for Akira to give him some instructions or advice or anything, instead all Akira does is circle around him and press himself against Ryuji’s back.

 

“Wha- what are you doing?”

 

“Just making things a bit easier for you,” Akira says as he places one of his hands on Ryuji’s arm, Ryuji can’t stop himself from flinching as his arm starts tingling where Akira is touching it.  At first, he thinks it’s because he’s so on edge with Akira right behind him that his nerves are going haywire.

 

Akira chuckles lightly at his reaction, “So you can feel it then? That’s good. All you have to do now is focus on the feeling, You’ll know what to do when you're ready.”

 

Ryuji really doesn't know how he’s expected to focus on anything that isn’t Akira’s breaths gently ghosting his ear and warm weight pressing against his back but he tries, does his best to block out anything that isn’t the pickling that’s settled just under his skin.

 

There are a few long minutes where he wonders if he’s doing it right, even as Akira gently reassures him that he’s doing just fine, that the first time is always the hardest, especially for a human. 

eventually, something changes and the prickling starts to slowly spread and get stronger, filling up his entire body with an almost electric buzzing. It reminds him of what he had felt the other night.

 

Its strongest in his hands and right above his heart where Akira’s mark is. He doesn't notice when Akira holds up his arms and aims them at one of the nearby trees, too overwhelmed to pay attention to much outside of himself anymore.

 

He does notice the sudden rush of power and the loud crack and the squawking of a very surprised bird screaming and flying off, but Ryuji is too busy trying to figure out why the ground is rushing up to meet him to pay much attention to it.

  
  


It’s not until his descent is stopped by Akira catching him that he realizes he was falling at all.

  
  


“What happened?” the words take far more effort to say that they should and come out slightly slurred.

  
  


Akira just laughs it off and says “that my friend, is the wonderful side effect of using too much magic.”

 

Not giving Ryuji a chance to respond, Akira lowers him into a sitting position, and the next thing he knows there’s a bottle of water being pressed against his mouth.

 

He almost wants to refuse the drink, fully aware that the bottle can't have been created out of thin air and doubts that Akira left any kind of compensation.

 

That idea is thrown out the window as soon as the cold water touches his lips, and he starts drinking like he’s just run a marathon through a desert. It takes him hardly any time at all to finish off the water. As soon as he’s done he flops back to lay on the grass.

 

Already the water is doing its job to help him feel less like he’s about to pass out from sheer exhaustion, what it doesn't help relieve is the familiar ache the quickly spreading throughout his body, an ache he hasn't felt since his track days. He lets out a groan when he tries to stretch out his legs, He doesn't move until he hears Akira sit down beside him,

 

“And at no point did you feel the need to warn me about these side effects?”

 

Akira put his hands up in surrender before saying “to be fair, I didn't think you planned on taking down an entire tree on your first try.”

 

Despite the teasing tone Akira says it in, Ryuji can tell that he’s worried, if the uncharacteristic frown on his face isn't clue enough then the downward tilt to his ears and the nervous twitching of his tail is.

 

Not wanting to be the cause of Akira’s worry, Ryuji slowly pushes himself off of the ground. It takes a few tries, his sore muscles already stiff and uncooperative, but soon enough he manages to get himself into a sitting position.

 

The first thing he sees is the blackened tree in the distance. He can't stop himself from letting out a long whistle

 

“Wow, and you said I did that? You sure there wasn't like, a super-localized forest fire right?” he says turning to Akira with a wide grin. His grin only gets wider when he hears Akira laugh at his statement, a vast improvement over the frown he had on only a few seconds prior.

 

“think more thunderstorm less fire,” Ryuji can hear the almost hear the defeat in his tone, already knowing where this conversation is heading. “ and yes, I can say without a doubt that it was you who caused it.”

 

With a sudden burst of excitement, Ryuji jumps to his feet, Akira scrambling to follow. He has to pause for a second as a wave of vertigo washes over him.

 

Once he’s recovered and standing straight he sheepishly rubs the back of his neck. “I was gonna ask if I could give it another try but, uh, maybe you should just show me how to do something a bit smaller?”

 

“Yeah I think I can do that.” Akira agrees as he moves back into position behind Ryuji. they spend the rest of the day practising simple spells, by the time there done Akira practically has to drag Ryuji back home.


	4. Chapter 4

The next few weeks are filled with trips to the park, Ryuji quickly discovers that his favorite practice involved fewer explosions and more channeling his electricity through his legs so that he can run laps around the clearing and the more he drags Akira out there to teach him, the faster and longer he can run.

 

Akira tries to show him how to do other things too, like psychokinesis and illusions, the latter of which Ryuji proves to be monumentally bad at, much to Akiras amusement.

 

To Ryujis delight it turns out the guys incredibly tactile, taking every opportunity he can to grab Ryuji’s hands as they walk around the city, or to hang off him when they play video games together at home. At some point Akira even stops changing into his cat form when he sleeps next to Ryuji.

 

Ryuji wants to say that It surprises him just how ok with that change he is, but he’s long since accepted the fact that he’s formed a crush on Akira. The way he feels just right slotted against Ryuji's chest, how adorable his sleeping face is, and how Akiras habit of twining his tail around Ryuji’s arm in his sleep as if trying to keep him from leaving makes his heart swell, only makes just how far he’s fallen all the more clear.

 

Unfortunately that particular habit can also be an annoyance at times, especially now when he has to stop several times to untangle it before he can reach his phone and and answer the text that had woken him up in the first place.

 

RS: hey ann, just curious but do you even know what time it is

AT:  does it matter, your clearly awake now

RS: i hate that your right

RS: anyway i assume there's a reason you wanted to talk so what is it

AT: well, since you asked

AT: i found out about this little cafe with curry that's apparently to die for

AT: i was thinking we could go there together, it’s been awhile since we last hung out after all.

RS: fine, give me the directions and i’ll meet you there in a bit

 

Putting his phone down Ryuji rolls out of bed and starts getting ready for what’s left of the day.

He changes quickly and does what he can to get his bed head under control. By the time he’s done there’s a new message on his phone giving him the directions to the bakery.

 

With everything ready he starts making his way out, only making a quick stop to give a still half asleep Akira a quick pat on the head which earns him a bit of displeased grumbling and a hand swatting his away.

 

“yeah, yeah, you can go back to sleep in a second, i’m just letting you know that i’m gonna be gone for a few hours so try not to get into too much trouble.” Akira just pulls the blankets over his head, as clear a dismissal as Ryuji has ever seen.

 

The ride to the cafe is quiet,. Not that ruji is particularly surprised, not when ann had described it as a hole in the wall type of shop.

 

And true to form with most holes in the wall it takes him a while to actually locate the restaurant once he gets there, tucked away as it is in one of the back alleys.

 

Once he does find it, he’s hit in the face with just how relaxed and almost lazy the atmosphere inside is, it probably has something to do with that fact that aside from himself and ann who’s already picked out a seat there's only two or three other customers scattered around.

 

The gentle smell of fresh coffee and curry wafting from the kitchen doesn't hurt either.

 

The only thing that really hurts Ryuji's first impression of the place is that one of akechi's old interviews is being played on the tv behind the counter.

 

“look who finally decided to show up!” she calls out when she spots him.

 

Matching her grin with one of his own Ryuji responds as he sits down in the booth, “Don't blame me for this place being in the hardest to find location there is. Anyway you havent been waiting long have you?” he’d left the apartment as fast as he could, but with how long she’d been trying to get in contact with him that didn’t necessarily mean much.

 

“Naw, i’ve only got here a few minutes ago, i did have time to order for us though,” he must have made a face because she quickly adds on, “and don't worry i remembered your like allergic to coffee or whatever so i got you a cup of hot chocolate instead.”

 

They make idle chit chat as they wait for their order to finish cooking, ann asks how his mom is doing,   _she’s been_ _fine, got some extra time off recently so that's been nice_ , Ryuji asks how her last modeling job went, _kinda boring to be honest but we got some great shots_ , when Ryuji asks about how shiho is doing ann goes off talking how amazing her girlfriend and all the things they've done together lately. it’s only stopped by the arrival of their food.

 

Ann thanks the man for the food, but he doesn't walk off apparently wanting to see what the two think of it, so Ryuji takes an experimental bite not really expecting much after it looks just like any other plate of curry he’s ever seen so--

 

“ _ Holy shit _ , this tastes amazing!” so it’s the best curry he’s ever had, good to know.

 

He can see the smirk on the owners face as he returns to his spot behind the counter and pulls out a crossword puzzle.

 

He doesn't pay much attention to him though, too busy shoveling as much curry into his mouth as he can, Ann’s self control isn't much better.

 

It's not till both of them are about half way done that they slow down enough to continue their conversation.

 

“So, i think we’ve talked enough about what i’ve been up to, but what about you?” Ryuji shoves a large spoonful of curry into his mouth and chews slowly, buying himself time to think about how to answer. It's not like he can just say that he’s being taught how to control electricity by the magical creature he’d accidentally bound himself to

after all, but he also knows that ann can sniff out any lie he tries to feed her from a mile away.

 

He goes will telling her a half truth, “ i’ve been hanging out with this guy i met a few weeks when i helped him- i mean his cat after i got hurt in a fight.” Ryuji takes a sip of his hot chocolate and prays that ann didn't question his slip up

 

“and here i thought you didn’t like cats.” he considers himself lucky when she chooses teasing him over questioning him.

 

“No, i don’t like your cat. Besides this one’s leg was real messed up, i couldn't just leave him there.”

 

“So you took the cat to the vet, they contacted its owner and you guys just hit it off?” he nods along as ann finishes his story for him, having failed to come up with anything better on his own.

 

“Pretty much yeah, we got to talking and it turned out we share a lot of the same hobbies. He’s been teaching me how to do, uh, yoga and We we've gone to the arcade a couple of times. the dude kicks ass at video games, you remember the gun about one that i’ve been trying to beat the record on for like a month?”  

 

“I think you might have mentioned it once or twice,” ann answers, amusement lacing her voice as she listens to Ryuji explain how Akira had managed to shoot his record, and just about everyone else's, out of the water.

 

“You should have seen it ann, he made it looks so easy,i don't think ive even seen someone get as far as he did on a single token.” Not that Ryuji had been paying much attention to the game at the time, too busy watching Akira,

 

His look of determined concentration on his face as he shot through wave after wave of enemies and how it transformed into a self-satisfied smirk when he input his name into the leaderboard had been a far more enjoyable view at the time.

 

Ryuji is snapped out of his trip down memory lane by ann tapping his face, “Hey, earth to Ryuji! You done zoning out like a lovesick idiot yet?”

 

He tries to defend himself against her claim, but between the way he keeps tripping over his own words and the blush that's quickly overtaking his cheeks, none of his excuses come off as particularly convincing.

 

Eventually he gives up on trying and instead buries his head into his arms with a groan as ann fails to stifle her giggling behind her own hands.

 

After getting her laughter mostly under control ann says, “ god, i was just joking but you really are in--”

 

“No i’m not” Ryuji interrupts,  “it’s nothing ann, just a stupid crush that’ll have run its course in a week or two, not exactly something to get excited over,” he’s lying and he knows it, what may have started as a crush on an undeniably pretty stranger had changed into something else somewhere between the casual touches and kind words, the shared laughs and quiet moments between them.

 

If the look she gives him is anything to go by she doesn't believe him anymore than he believes himself, but she’s merciful enough to drop the subject and they both eat in silence.

 

“Hey,” Ryuji says before the silence can drag on too long, “ you know it’s still early, and i could have sworn i saw a theater down the street, you wanna go see if there's anything good showing after we finish here?”

 

Ann eagerly agrees with that plan, and whatever tension is left dissipates as and they argue over what type of movie they should watch.

Ryuji doesn't get home until long after the sun goes down and is replaced by the orange glow of tokyo's street lamps.  and He walks silently into his room, and is unsurprised to find Akira already in bed.

 

Ryuji does his best to avoid disturbing the mattress when he climbs under the covers through the effort proves to be a futile one, he barely has time get comfortable before Akiras shifting closer and latching onto him, his face buried in Ryuji’s neck and starts purring in contentment.

 

“You know you didn't have to wait up on me right?” Ryuji brings his free hand up to scratch Akira behind his ear. Akira arches into the touch and his purrs only grow louder. 

 

“Don’t flatter yourself, it was just too cold for me to fall asleep without you acting as a furnace.”

 

“Whatever you say.”

 

A shiver runs down Ryuji’s spine when Akira huffs out a laugh, his warm breath gliding against the back of Ryuji’s neak, a trail of goosebumps marking its path. It reminds Ryuji of the conversation he’d had with ann earlier.

 

“Hey, kira you still awake?” knowing Akira’s propensity to fall asleep fast and deep he's only half expecting a response, but there's a question he needs an answer to and he’s certain that its only using the borrowed bravery of night fall that he’ll be able to ask it.

 

It seems he’s in luck tonight. Akira reluctantly pulls back with a groan, “no thanks to you,” he complains using his new position to half-heartedly glare at Ryuji.

 

“You remember back when futaba had mentioned how if you wanted to you could go anywhere you wanted to? I wanna know why don't you, why do you choose to stay here?”

 

Akira’s face goes serious as he thinks about his answer, “i don’t really know, i just like it here, or i guess it would be better to say i like it with you,” is what he finally decides on.

 

“In that case i have another question,” gently grabbing Akira’s face in his hands he guides their mouths together making sure to go slow enough that Akira can pull away and stop this whenever he wants.

 

But Ryuji still wants to be sure, so he stops right before their lips meet he asks, “is this okay?”

 

Akira enthusiastically lets him know that it, and more, is very much okay.

  
  


Ryuji comes down from his afterglow a few hours later to Akira gently tracing something back and forth, back and forth along his throat, every now and then dipping up or down. It takes a few minutes for him to blink away the last of his drowsiness and register the look of fear and guilt plastered all over Akira’s face.

  
  


“Akira? Hey, What's wrong?” he watches as Akira seems to fold into himself and everything about that is so viscerally  _ wrong _ in all the time he’s spent with Akira, he’s never once looked so small and to know that the reason he does now has something to do with him is almost too much to handle.

  
  


He reaches for Akira's hand, hoping to provide some comfort but when Akira flinches away from him he lets it fall limp in the space between them instead.

  
  


“Co-come on, you gotta tell me what you need so i can help.” Ryuji barely suppressed a flinch of his own at his words, recalling having said something similar during their activities and prays that’s not what this is about he’d never forgive himself if he’d  _ forced _ Akira into doing anything.

 

Ryuji's train of thought is interrupted by a broken laugh, “You didn't do anything i didn't want, i promise. I- im the one who sh- should be apologizing.”

 

before Ryuji can say anything to that or demand to know what he could possibly think he’d done wrong there's a mirror being pushed into his hand and Akira is forcing himself impossibly smaller.

 

Already having a hunch what the mirror is for Ryuji angles it towards his neck and gasps barely hearing the soft whine Akira makes in response too focused on studying the black band and black band with bat like wings that alternate between rising up and dropping down that's wrapped around it.

 

“Akira,” Ryuji says without looking away from the mirror, watching his hand trace the designs edges just like Akira had been doing before. He knows he should probably be more worried about this than he is, anything that has Akira panicking has to be serious.

 

But something about the mark just feels so right, so  _ safe  _ that he can’t imagine what could be so bad about it.

 

he keeps his tone as neutral as possible as he continues, “what is this?”

 

Instead of answering Akira starts repeating apologies, while it’s great to know that Akira cares enough to feel sorry for, whatever this is Ryuji would much rather he get around to telling him what this is instead.

 

Pulling his eyes away from the mirror at last and shifts so that he’s sitting up, facing Akira. He reaches out once again this time gently cupping Akira’s face, he has to fight to hold down a smile when Akira instinctively leans into the hold, well aware that now's not the time for it.

 

Recognising the beginnings of a panic attack from the times he’s had to help futaba through them and wanting to stop it before it can get much worse, Ryuji speaks slowly and softly.

 

“hey, hey, i need you to look at me, can you do that?” it takes a while but eventually he does, slowly opening his eyes. Both are shining just a bit brighter than normal and the blue and golden flecks spinning just a touch faster, all but confirming that whatever's going on was caused by Akira’s magic acting on its own.

 

“Good, good! Now we’re gonna breath for a little bit? Try not to think of anything else but matching me ok?” after an almost imperceptible nod Ryuji slows his breathing to what, after several rounds of trial and error, he’d found to be the most effective in calming futaba down and starts to count, praying that it’ll work just as well with Akira. 

 

The minutes pass agonizingly slowly, one after another with few signs of improvement. Ryuji starts to wonder if he should try something else, he can see his phone in the corner of his eye, sitting on his bedside table. I would take just a second to reach out and grab it, and only a few more after that to look up what someone more qualified that him says to do.

 

He doesn't get the chance to decide, he feels more than he hears Akiras breath hitch, right before he slumps against Ryujis chest. 

 

Instinctively Ryuji moves to catch him. One hand wraps around his back, and the other ends up on his hair, gently petting through the fluffy black strands and scratching around his ears. 

 

Akira melts into the touch, relaxing until the only sign of his previous panic attack are a pair of quickly drying tear trails running down both cheeks, and the occasional hiccuped breath.

 

Ryuji waits a while longer, just to make sure Akira really is out of the woods.

 

Resting his head on top of Akira’s Ryuji says softly, “you feeling better now?”

 

There a slight pause before Akira hums out a yes. 

 

“That’s good, but you know we need to talk about this right?” 

 

There’s a much longer pause here, where Akira’s hands clench against Ryuji’s chest and he buries his head deeper into Ryuji’s shoulder. 

 

When he feels Akira nod against him once again Ryuji lets himself relax, confident that Akira will explain once he gets a chance to get his thoughts in order. 

 

Until then he focuses on holding Akira still and petting his hair.

 

He loses track of time, getting lost in the repetitiveness of the  motions as the lull him to sleep. He’s about to give in and let himself drift off when the slight tug on his arms from Akira’s failed attempt to pull away from him.

 

He fights off the instinct to hold Akira tighter and keep him still instead letting them fall to his sides, allowing Akira to sit up.

 

He still won’t look Ryuji in the eye, but at this point he’ll take what he can get.

 

Akira doesn't give him any time to ask any of his own questions, as soon as he’s settled he blurts out, “You remember back when all of this first started?”  

 

As if he could forget. If there's any one day he’ll remember for the rest of his life, it’ll be that one.

 

Akira only nods when he tells him such, “then you remember the part where i told you that, if you wanted to there was a way to break the bond between us.” the ‘was’ in that statement doesn’t slip past Ryuji’s notice.

 

“And what does that have to do with anything?”

 

“Only just about everything.”the offhanded way Akira says it catches him off guard, if Akira wasn't _ still  _ refusing to meet his eyes and if  he couldn't see how his hands are shaking in his lap, he’d think this conversation was about nothing more serious than the weather.

 

“My magic interacted with out heightened emotions, strengthening the bond so that its now more or less permanent.”

 

“Oh, is that all?”

 

“ what do you mean, is that all? That should be plenty!” Akira does not screech, but it’s a close thing.

 

Slowly Ryuji reaches out and takes one of Akira’s trembling hands in one of his own. He uses the other to cup Akira’s cheek rubbing it soothingly with his thumb and tilting Akira’s head until he’s forced to meet Ryuji’s determined stare.

 

“Do you really think that i’d have sex with someone,  _ with you _ , and run? Do you honestly think i care that little for you?” 

 

“That’s not the point! The point is that you didn’t even get a choice in the matter!”

 

“Your right that i would have liked knowing what i was getting into, but if you think for a second that the outcome would have been any different then you are sorely mistaken.” Ryuji can see that Akira isn’t convinced so he offers a compromise. 

 

“How about this, you stay here and relax, maybe take a nap and i’ll go take a walk or something and think things over? “ he gets his answer in Akira flopping down on the bed and shooing him away.


	5. Chapter 5

“You just had to go and make my job harder didn't you?” Ryuji spins around trying to locate the source of the voice but the alleyway is as empty now as it was when he’d wandered in, looking for a quiet place to get away from the crowds and think.

  
The only other living thing he can see is the large crow sitting on the fire escape. So he shrugs and turns back around with the assumption that he’d overheard a part of someone else's conversation.

  
He doesn't get very far before the crow lands in front of him, stopping him in his tracks and refusing to let him move forward.

  
“Don't you know it's rude to ignore someone when they're talking to you?.”  there's barely any time for Ryuji to think about how he’ managed to cross paths with another magical being before he’s forced to stumble backwards in order to avoid getting caught in the swirling black tendrils that rise up from the ground and encase the bird.

  
The tendrils rapidly swell until their taller than Ryuji and rapidly dissolve away, revealing…

  
“Akechi?”

  
“Oh, you recognize me?” Akechi asks as he takes a step forward, closing the distance between them slightly and paints on a pleasant smile.

  
“Hard not to when your face is plastered on every tv screen in Tokyo?” wanting to recover the space Akechi had gotten rid of Ryuji takes a step back, which is answered by Akechi taking another step forward.

  
“that’s the price of fame, I guess.”

  
“It’s a good thing you look perfectly happy to pay it.” Ryuji tries to hide the nervousness that creeps into his voice when their little dance forces him back against the wall.

  
Quickly scanning his surroundings for an escape route and failing to find one Ryuji looks back at Akechi and sees that his smile has morphed into something more dangerous.

  
“As much as I would love to keep making small talk. I did come here for a reason, and I think it’s about time I got back to that” Ryuji’s still trying to make sense of that comment when Akechi pulls his gun out of its holster and raises it above his head.

  
Without enough time to raise his arms defensively, he falls to the ground like so much crumpled paper

  
There's a lightning bolt of pain racing under his skull and he can barely see straight, his vision swimming in and out of focus so much it’s making him sick.

  
There are a few times where he's certain he’d lost consciousness, the memory of the time in between each awakening completely lost to him. Like how he’d gone from laying face down on the dirty alley street to staring up at the sky through some cars sunroof.

  
Or most of the conversation Akechi is having with someone over the phone. He only managed to catch a few snippets here and there mostly Akechi reassuring his… boss? That his plan had gone off without a hitch

  
At some point, the effort it takes to keep his eyes open becomes too much and Ryuji losses the fight to stay awake, silently slipping into unconsciousness.

  
He has no idea how long he’s been out the next time he wakes up. All he knows it this it’s been long enough that the ceiling stays where it belongs when he opens his eyes, but not long enough to do much of anything to dull the headache screaming at him from behind his temples.

  
A headache that only gets worse when he tries to sit up and sees Akechi reading a book on an overly plush chair on the other side of the room.

  
Ryuji’s half a second away from getting up and demanding he explain where they are and what’s going on, the only thing that stops him is that Akechi snapping his book shut and set it down before Ryuji gets the chance to.

  
 “I see you’ve decided to wake up, how are you feeling?” the question is asked so earnestly that he *almost* forgets that the one asking it is the reason it feels like an elephant decided to dance the tango over his face.  
“Ya know, I’ve been better actually.” bringing his hand up to gingerly feel around the area he remembers taking the brunt of the guns hit, he winces in pain when he feels the large bump that's formed there.

  
“I would apologize for the use of force, but it was the easiest way I could think of to get you here.” Akechi stands up and Ryuji follows his movement, making sure to move slowly enough to avoid triggering a dizzy spell.

  
Once he’s standing more or less upright, Akechi turns around and motions for Ryuji to follow. With few other options, Ryuji does.

  
“And where is here?” Ryuji askes after a few minutes.

  
“We’re still in Japan if that makes you feel better.”

  
“Japan, but not Tokyo?” the idea that he’d been knocked out for so long that Akechi had been able to get him out of the city and into who knows where is staggering.

  
It's enough to stun him into silence as Akechi leads him through a maze of hallways and passed numerous unmarked and nearly identical doors.

  
He doesn't feel the need to ask anything else until he notices he’s been brought to an empty stretch of hallway, the doors having thinned out into nothing some time ago.

  
“so, uh, where exactly are we going?” Ryuji tries not to let his nervousness seep into his voice tries not to let it give away all the worse case scenarios running through his mind.

  
Images of torture rooms and movie style interrogations flashing one after another.

  
“You can relax, as long as you play your part there no reason for you to worry.” he’s apparently not as successful as he wants to be. “As for where we’re going why don't you step inside and see for yourself.”

  
Ryuji nearly walks into his back when Akechi comes to a sudden stop in front of a pair of ornate double doors.

  
It doesn't take any more encouragement than that to convince him to investigate.

  
The doors swing open silently with almost no force at all when he pushes on them, revealing the expansive room hidden on the other side.

  
“What is this? Some kind of zoo?” in front of him, in a semi-circular formation, are various different enclosures with various biomes, ranging from forest to his left to a desert on his right and a large tank of water on the opposite side of the room.

  
“You could say that, though I think showroom would be more apt. Anyway, we got here a touch too early, why don't you go look around.”

  
Whatever worries he’s been harboring are dropped to the wayside as he leaves Akechi to watch the door and dashes for the nearest enclosure, a forested one with a large clearing in the middle. He startles the white stag and hind that had been napping under the minimal tree cover the wooded environment of the trees.

  
They try to run away, to find a better place to hide but don’t get very far. The enclosure is just large enough to give the animals enough room to move walk around but still small enough that no matter where they are they're still in full view of whoever’s watching them.

  
Ryuji thinks he’s starting to understand why Akechi had described the place like a showroom.

  
Walking around the ring reveals dozens of animals, there are plenty of normal animals that he can see, like the family of foxes hiding in a burrow and pair of seals basking on top of some rocks, But there are lots of more fantastical one too. There’s something with the body of a lion and a scorpion's tail in a desert. A scaly rooster is laying amongst some shrubs a few enclosures away.

  
And If he ends up spending a bit too long watching the griffons and pegasi flying around an aviary, then it’s not like Akechi’s paying enough attention to him to care.

  
The only spot he can’t look at is the central exhibit, covered as it is by a thick black curtain.

  
He’s creating a list of all the animals he can think of that could live there when he sees the door swing open and Akechi stand at attention out of the corner of his eye.

  
He turns around just in time to watch tall, bald and ugly enter the room and He immediately recognizes the new arrival as Masayoshi Shido, with how often the man’s been campaigning on the tv Ryuji would be shocked if there was anyone in Japan who didn't recognize him in all of his bald-headed glory at this point.

  
Shido says something to Akechi that Ryuji is too far away to hear who walks off. Shido then walks up to him and places a hand against Ryuji’s shoulders and uses it to guide Ryuji back to the central enclosure.

  
There's a tense silence as Shido and he stand in front of the cloth covered dome. Ryuji’s thinking through various ways to break the ice and start asking questions that have been swirling in his head since he’d woke up here.

  
Shido beats him to it him to it.

  
“You know I almost feel I should thank you,” Shido says to Ryuji, though he's not looking anywhere near him, eyes focused on the curtain in front of them.

  
Ryuji glances to the side, confused to what in the world *that's* supposed to mean. He sees the grin on Shido's face and the pleased gleam in his eyes and Ryuji almost doesn't want to know what he could have done to make this man so happy.

  
“As you can see I’ve acquired quite the extensive collection of creatures here, but there’s one that to slip through my fingers.” Ryuji returns his attention to the curtain when it shifts and starts to slowly rise up. He has a sinking feeling that he knows exactly who he's going to see behind it.

  
Oblivious to Ryuji’s growing apprehension Shido keeps talking. “ if it hadn't been for you keeping it in one place, I’m sure I would have had to spend much more time tracking it down again.”

  
Not wanting to hear any more of the praise Shido is laying on him Ryuji tunes him out and instead focuses on the enclosure that's finished being revealed to them.

  
The first thing Ryuji sees is the hardwood flooring, a stark contrast to the dirt and grass of the other exhibits. An overly plush couch and table are the next to be identified, with a lit fireplace crackling behind them.

  
But the item that Ryuji locks onto is the small pet bed that’s been pushed in one of the corners and the circle of back fuzz that's laying on top of it, sound asleep.

  
“Akira!” Ryuji doesn't try to stop himself from running to the dome. He bangs his fist on the glass a few times  
The noise is enough to rouse Akira from his slumber. When he lifts his head and looks over, Ryuji can see the tight iron collar and heavy chain that’s replaced soft red leather.

  
There's also the unfocused look in his eyes that's clearly caused by more than just a rude awakening.

  
“What did you do to him?” there's cold fury in his voice but Shido either doesn't notice or doesn’t consider Ryuji enough of a threat to care as he answers.

  
“Nothing much, I simply had my doctors give him something to keep him complacent until I feel he’s learned his place like the rest of my pets.”

  
Ryuji's blood boils at that answer, at how someone could look at these animals as things to own, to *collect*. He doesn't bother to form a plan, just lets his anger boil over and guild his blindly thrown punch.

  
Akechi comes out of nowhere and catches his arm before it can come close to making contact.

  
Focusing on discharging a jolt of electricity from his wrist Akechi let's go with a gasp of pain.

  
Ryuji lets his anger, Confusion and fear mix together inside of him while Akechi recovers from the attack. The emotions clash against each other inside him morphing rapidly into a white-hot rage.  
 

He doesn't think when he takes a step forward, about what he’s doing, how he’s outnumbered and outclassed. He doesn't think about the one after either or the next few after that.

  
He takes advantage of all the time he’d spent training in the park with Akira to add some power to his fists and some speed to his legs.

  
With a vicious grin and a crack that sends all the animals running to get to as far from him as they can, he discharges a bolt of lightning that lights up the room and melts the snow behind him.

  
He breaks into a full-on sprint right towards Akechi, dead set on… on… doing something, anything that will give him the time to get Akira out of this god awful trophy room.

  
He only managed to get in one good punch in on Akechi's precious face, Ryuji's sudden attack stunning him just long enough for him to get close, but it was a good one Ryuji can already tell it’ll be bruised by tomorrow.

  
Akechi recovers from the attack quickly, and Ryuji is forced to jump back by a pair of large black wings erupt from Akechi’s back with a flurry of feathers.

  
With a few beats of his wings and a touch of magic, Akechi creates a wall of wind that slams into Ryuji and sends him flying. He hits the glass of Akira’s enclosure with a sickening crack and even after sliding down he can't focus enough beyond the spinning of the room to stand up.

  
What he can focus on is how the sound of him hitting the glass is enough to rouse Akira from his forced slumber.

  
Ryuji watches as he takes in Ryuji slumped on the floor and Akechi gloating on the other side with his wings spread out wide.

  
Ryuji’s vision starts to blur even worse, and a wave of dizziness overcomes him shortly after, he’s almost certain he’s lost a few minutes of consciousness because the next thing he knows there's shattered glass all around him and both Akechi and Akira are fighting like their lives depend on it.

  
He wants to keep watching, it's mesmerizing seeing Akechi dart and fly around as he avoids Akiras attacks, the bright blue blazing through the air. Akira is moving around just as much, if not more so, using his magic to power his jumps so he can reach Akechi to scratch and claw him. Taking skin and feathers with him each time.

  
Try as he might to keep his eyes open the longer he watches the heavier they get until he has no choice but to succumb to sleep.

  
Ryuji feels he should probably be a bit more worried than he is about how often he’s been waking up with massive, head splitting headaches the ache the permeate every muscle in his body this time is a nice touch.

  
Glancing to the side of the room show Futaba sound asleep in a position that would be uncomfortable for anyone else but her.

  
He’s also swaddled in what has to be every blanket he owns. There's so many he can barely breathe through them. That could also be because of Akira, sitting on his chest and staring at him, with a look of wary apprehension, he relaxes when Ryuji flashes him a bright smile.

  
“Is this my house?” Akira curls up tighter against him, rubbing

  
“You had me worried you know, the doctor says you had a pretty bad concussion.” That would explain the headache then, and the bandages he can feel tightly wound around his head then.

  
“You should have seen the other guy.” unable to help himself Ryuji cracks a joke, hoping to lighten Akira’s mood further.

  
“I don’t think anyone will have to worry about looking at those two ever again.” there's steel in Akira’s voice as he says this and Ryuji makes a questioning sound, not sure what he means. Akira just tells him to forget about it and starts purring loudly to soothe him.

  
“You should probably get some more sleep, doctors orders.” already lulled into a state of relaxation with the vibrations of Akira purr reverberate through him, Ryuji can think of no arguments he can make to that request. He quickly falls asleep, eager to see what adventure tomorrow brings the three of them.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks to eveyone who read this story to its end! (even if that ending wasnt the best) but as i said at the start i hope you enjoyed it and if you did feel free to let me know! i hope you have a good day/night!

**Author's Note:**

> thank you to everyone who read this fic to the end! if you liked it feel free to let me know and i hope you have a nice day/night!


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